Preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A) is a crucial technique currently used to improve embryo implantation rate, reduce miscarriage rate, and shorten the time to pregnancy for patients who are of advanced maternal age (≥35 years), have experienced repeated implantation failures, or have a history of recurrent miscarriages. Conventional PGT-A necessitates an invasive embryo biopsy, which may pose potential risks to subsequent embryo development and long-term health outcomes. Consequently, there is a growing interest among reproductive medicine professionals in developing non-invasive, safe, accurate, and effective methods for assessing embryo chromosomal status and quality. This paper provides an overview of recent advancements in the use of next-generation sequencing for detecting cell-free DNA (cfDNA) in non-invasive preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (niPGT-A). The review highlights both the potential of this approach and its existing limitations. Additionally, the paper proposes a novel hypothesis regarding the application of single-molecule nanopore technology for cfDNA detection in niPGT-A, offering new insights and serving as a reference for future research in this field.

Objective:To determine the optimal threshold for trigger-day progesterone levels in gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist protocols.Methods:A cohort study was performed. The clinical data were retrospectively analyzed from patients who underwent in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF/ICSI) for assisted reproduction at the Reproductive Medicine Center of Tianjin Central Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital between January 2014 and May 2023. The study included 5 760 fresh transfer cycles where the female partner had undergone ovarian stimulation using a GnRH antagonist protocol. This was a single-arm study. The primary outcome measures were clinical pregnancy rate and live birth rate. The association between progesterone level on the trigger day and clinical pregnancy outcome and the dose-response relationship were analyzed by restricted cubic spline. Results:The progesterone level on the day of human chorionic gonadotropin trigger was (1.33±0.38) μg/L. Among the included cycles, 2 900 cycles underwent conventional IVF fertilization, while 2 860 cycles underwent ICSI. The biochemical pregnancy rate was 44.79% (2 580/5 760), the clinical pregnancy rate was 40.35% (2 324/5 760), and the live birth rate was 31.46% (1 812/5 760). Progesterone levels on the trigger day in GnRH antagonist protocols showed a nonlinear association with both clinical pregnancy rate and live birth rate (both P<0.001). When progesterone levels were below 0.61 μg/L, the clinical pregnancy rate increased with rising progesterone levels, but decreased significantly once this threshold was exceeded. Similarly, the live birth rate increased with progesterone levels below 0.63 μg/L and declined beyond that point. Conclusion:Progesterone levels on the optimal trigger day for achieving the highest clinical pregnancy rate and live birth rate in GnRH antagonist protocols are peak values of 0.61 μg/L and 0.63 μg/L, respectively. Using these thresholds, the impact of progesterone levels on the trigger day shows a positive effect on both clinical pregnancy rate and live birth rate up to these points, after which the effects become negative.

Preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A) is a crucial technique currently used to improve embryo implantation rate, reduce miscarriage rate, and shorten the time to pregnancy for patients who are of advanced maternal age (≥35 years), have experienced repeated implantation failures, or have a history of recurrent miscarriages. Conventional PGT-A necessitates an invasive embryo biopsy, which may pose potential risks to subsequent embryo development and long-term health outcomes. Consequently, there is a growing interest among reproductive medicine professionals in developing non-invasive, safe, accurate, and effective methods for assessing embryo chromosomal status and quality. This paper provides an overview of recent advancements in the use of next-generation sequencing for detecting cell-free DNA (cfDNA) in non-invasive preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (niPGT-A). The review highlights both the potential of this approach and its existing limitations. Additionally, the paper proposes a novel hypothesis regarding the application of single-molecule nanopore technology for cfDNA detection in niPGT-A, offering new insights and serving as a reference for future research in this field.

Objective:To determine the optimal threshold for trigger-day progesterone levels in gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist protocols.Methods:A cohort study was performed. The clinical data were retrospectively analyzed from patients who underwent in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF/ICSI) for assisted reproduction at the Reproductive Medicine Center of Tianjin Central Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital between January 2014 and May 2023. The study included 5 760 fresh transfer cycles where the female partner had undergone ovarian stimulation using a GnRH antagonist protocol. This was a single-arm study. The primary outcome measures were clinical pregnancy rate and live birth rate. The association between progesterone level on the trigger day and clinical pregnancy outcome and the dose-response relationship were analyzed by restricted cubic spline. Results:The progesterone level on the day of human chorionic gonadotropin trigger was (1.33±0.38) μg/L. Among the included cycles, 2 900 cycles underwent conventional IVF fertilization, while 2 860 cycles underwent ICSI. The biochemical pregnancy rate was 44.79% (2 580/5 760), the clinical pregnancy rate was 40.35% (2 324/5 760), and the live birth rate was 31.46% (1 812/5 760). Progesterone levels on the trigger day in GnRH antagonist protocols showed a nonlinear association with both clinical pregnancy rate and live birth rate (both P<0.001). When progesterone levels were below 0.61 μg/L, the clinical pregnancy rate increased with rising progesterone levels, but decreased significantly once this threshold was exceeded. Similarly, the live birth rate increased with progesterone levels below 0.63 μg/L and declined beyond that point. Conclusion:Progesterone levels on the optimal trigger day for achieving the highest clinical pregnancy rate and live birth rate in GnRH antagonist protocols are peak values of 0.61 μg/L and 0.63 μg/L, respectively. Using these thresholds, the impact of progesterone levels on the trigger day shows a positive effect on both clinical pregnancy rate and live birth rate up to these points, after which the effects become negative.

ObjectiveTo explore the effect and mechanism of Sishenjian on synovial lesions induced by monosodium iodoacetate （MIA） in rats with knee osteoarthritis （KOA）. MethodSixty female Sprague-Dawley （SD） rats were randomly divided into the following six groups： normal group， model group， celecoxib group， and high-， medium-， and low-dose Sishenjian group. The KOA rat model was established by intra-articular injection of MIA. Celecoxib （18 mg·kg^-1） and Sishenjian （14.4， 7.2， 3.6 g·kg^-1） were administered by gavage according to the groups. All rats were euthanized after four weeks of continuous administration. The transverse diameter of the bilateral knee joints of rats was measured， and gross observation of the knee joint was performed. Pathological changes in knee joint synovial tissue were observed by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining and picrosirius red staining. Immunohistochemistry （IHC） was used to detect the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor A （VEGFA） in synovial tissue. The levels of inflammatory cytokines in the joint synovial fluid were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） and Western blot were used to detect the expression of mRNA and proteins related to the transforming growth factor-β₁ （TGF-β₁）/Smad2/3 pathway in knee joint synovium. ResultCompared with the normal group， the transverse diameter of the knee joint in the model group significantly increased （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the transverse diameter of the knee joint in rats of each Sishenjian group significantly decreased （P<0.01）. Compared with the normal group， the expression levels of interleukin-1β （IL-1β） and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） in the knee joint synovial fluid of model group significantly increased （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the expression levels of IL-1β and TNF-α in the knee joint synovial fluid of rats in each Sishenjian group significantly decreased （P<0.01）. Compared with the normal group， the expression levels of TGF-β₁， Smad2/3， phosphorylation（p）-Smad2/3， type Ⅰ collagen α1 （ColⅠ_α1）， type Ⅲ collagen α1 （ColⅢ_α1）， VEGFA proteins and TGF-β₁， Smad2/3， ColⅠ_α1， ColⅢ_α1 mRNA in knee joint synovium of model group significantly increased （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the expression levels of TGF-β₁， Smad2/3， phosphorylation （p）-Smad2/3， ColⅠ_α1， ColⅢ_α1， VEGFA proteins and TGF-β₁， Smad2/3， ColⅠ_α1， ColⅢ_α1 mRNA in knee joint synovium of rats in each Sishenjian group significantly decreased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionSishenjian can inhibit synovial inflammation and angiogenesis， and may become a potential drug for treating synovial lesions in KOA by regulating the TGF-β₁/Smad2/3 pathway.

Objective To investigate the effect of Qufu Shengji ointment combined with ulinastatin in the treatment of wound healing after perianal surgery and its effect on the level of inflammatory factors.Methods Patients who underwent perianal surgery in Guilin Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine from July 2020 to January 2022 were randomly divided into control group and test group.The patients in both groups were treated with conventional debridement therapy and ulinastatin,and the test group was treated with Qufu Shengji ointment.The wound healing efficacy,TCM symptom score,inflammatory factor level,growth factor level and treatment safety of the two groups were compared.Results A total of 116 patients were included in the study,including 58 patients in the test group and 58 in the control group.The total effective rate of the test group(91.38％)was higher than that of the control group(75.86％),and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).After treatment,the TCM syndrome score levels of interleukin-17A(IL-17A),C-reactive protein(CRP)and serum amyloid A(SAA)in the test group were lower than those in the control group(P＜0.05).The levels of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1(VEGFR1),fibroblast growth factor receptor(FGFR)and transforming growth factor-β1(TGF-β1)were higher than those in the control group(P＜0.05).The anal function index was higher than that of the control group(P＜0.05).The incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups was 13.79％and 8.62％,respectively,and the difference was not statistically significant(P＞0.05).Conclusion The effect of Qufu Shengji ointment combined with ulinastatin in the treatment of wound healing after perianal surgery is significant,which can improve the TCM syndrome,reduce inflammatory factors,and upregulate growth factors,and has good safety.

Objective To investigate the effect of exosomes derived from Echinococcus multilocularis on macrophage polarization after treatment for different durations and concentrations. Methods A total of 60 BALB/c mice were used for modeling, among which 4 mice were selected to observe the growth of abdominal lesions on 7.0T MRI. The mice for modeling were dissected, and the protoscoleces was taken from the abdominal lesion and cultured in vitro ; ultracentrifugation was used to extract the exosomes from the supernatant, and transmission electron microscopy and Western blotting were used for the characterization of exosomes. The macrophages without exosome treatment were established as control group, and the macrophages co-cultured with different concentrations of exosomes derived from Echinococcus multilocularis were established as experimental group (10 μg/mL group and 50 μg/mL group) and were cultured for 48 and 72 hours. The morphological changes of macrophages were observed under a microscope, and flow cytometry and ELISA were used to observe polarization state. A one-way analysis of variance was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between multiple groups, and the least significant difference t -test was used for further comparison between two groups. Results The results of 7.0T MRI showed the formation of diffuse lesions with different sizes in the abdominal cavity of mice, and the exosomes derived from Echinococcus multilocularis were approximately 100 nm in diameter and were cup-shaped or saucer-shaped, with the positive expression of the surface markers CD9, TSG101, and CD63. After co-culture, most of the cells in the experimental group were elongated with an irregular and polygonal shape. Flow cytometry showed that after 48 hours of co-culture, the positive rates of CD16/32, CD206, and CD369 in the control group were 99.53%±0.06%, 90.27%±0.21%, and 2.40%±0.20%, respectively; compared with the control group, except that the 10 μg/mL exosome group had a significant reduction in the positive rate of CD369 (0.80%±0.00%) ( P < 0.05), all the other groups had a significant increase in the positive rates of CD16/32, CD206, and CD369 (all P < 0.000 1); after 72 hours of co-culture, the positive rates of CD16/32, CD206, and CD369 in the control group were 99.67%±0.06%, 85.47%±0.55%, and 6.60%±0.20%, respectively, and compared with the control group, the experimental group had significant increases in the positive rates of CD16/32, CD206, and CD369 (all P < 0.05). ELISA showed that after 48 hours of co-culture, the levels of IL-6 and TNFα in the control group were 58.53±15.52 pg/mL and 320.70±5.30 pg/mL, respectively, and when the exosome concentration was 50 μg/mL, the level of IL-6 in the experimental group was 98.81±15.55 pg/mL, which was higher than that in the control group ( P < 0.05); after 72 hours of co-culture, the levels of IL-6 and TNFα in the control group were 76.22±9.68 pg/mL and 323.90±87.37 pg/mL, respectively, and when the exosome concentration was 10 μg/mL, the level of TNFα was 164.20±14.17 pg/mL, which was significantly lower than that in the control group ( P < 0.05); when the exosome concentration was 50 μg/mL, the level of IL-6 was 99.52±8.35 pg/mL, which was significantly higher than that in the control group ( P < 0.05). Conclusion Exosomes derived from Echinococcus multilocularis can regulate macrophage polarization and induce M2-like polarization of macrophages after co-culture at a concentration of 10 μg /mL for 72 hours, and further studies are needed to clarify the specific method.

Objective:To evaluate the accuracy of the domestic "Skywalker" surgical robot in implementing personalized lower limb alignment reconstruction scheme in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and the short-term clinical outcome of robotic assisted TKA.Methods:From September 2020 to January 2021, the data of patients who received surgical robot assisted TKA in 5 clinical centers in China (Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Southwest Hospital affiliated to Third Military Medical University, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University and Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital, and Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine was the group leader) were prospectively collected and retrospectively analyzed. There were 24 males and 82 females with an average age of 67.6±7.3 years, (range 45-80 years); Average body mass index 26.42±4.31 kg/m 2, all the operation were performed by "Skywalker" surgical robot system according to preoperative design based on CT. The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, hospitalization days and postoperative complications were recorded, and the imaging indexes including hip-knee-ankle (HKA), lateral distal angle of femur (LDFA) and medial proximal angle of tibia (MPTA) measured before and after the operation, implant model indexes (preoperative planning implant model and postoperative implant model) and short-term clinical efficacy indexes [Western Ontario and McMaster Universities (WOMAC) osteoarthritis index] pain score, stiffness score, joint function score, total score and SF-12 score before and 3 months after the operation) were compared. Results:The average follow-up period was 109.60±9.80 d, (range 95-143 d). The average operation time of 106 patients was 105.30±23.22 min; The average intraoperative blood loss was 141.70±58.33 ml; The average length of hospitalization was 5.82±2.80 d. One patient had ischemic stroke after operation, and one patient had abnormal liver function after operation. According to the judgment of the investigator, all of them were not related to the operation. The actual angle error is the difference between the preoperative planning angle and the postoperative measurement angle. The absolute error of 99.1% (105/106) of the HKA angle was within 3°, 90.8% (69/76) of LDFA, 98.7% (75/76) of the MPTA. In 45 patients in one center where data were available, the actual implant models used in all patients were consistent with the preoperative planning size, and there were only differences in version selection such as Asian condyle. WOMAC pain score, joint function score, total score was improved from 7.34±2.85, 25.10±9.85, 34.75±13.02 to 3.34±2.66, 14.68±9.64, 18.66±13.49 before and after operation, respectively, which were statistically significant ( P<0.001) and SF-12 physiological score and psychological score were improved form 27.24±6.42, 30.68±8.26 to 38.83±5.74, 39.36±7.85 before and after operation, respectively, which were statistically significant ( t=7.33, P<0.001; t=4.53, P=0.043). Conclusion:Domestic surgical robot system "Skywalker" can assist the surgeon to achieve accurate and personalized reconstruction of lower limb alignment and achieve satisfactory short-term clinical outcomes. The long-term clinical outcomes of personalized reconstruction and survival rate of implant still need to be further studied.

Objective:To analyze the biological characteristics, phylogenic features and clinical significance of SQ219 and SQ220 isolated from clinical sputum and midstream urine specimens.Methods:The culture and biochemical characteristics of the two strains were observed. VITEK2 System, drug sensitivity testing and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry were used for bacterial identification. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA and core genome was performed. The average nucleotide identity (ANI) based on whole genome sequences was calculated.Results:SQ219 and SQ220 were Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, catalase- and oxidase-positive, and non-motile bacteria. Their optimum growth was observed in NaCl-free medium at 30℃ and pH7. Flexirubin-type pigments were produced by SQ220 on Colombia blood agar, but not by SQ219. Both SQ219 and SQ220 were resistant to aztreonam, amikacin, tobramycin and colistin, which was consistent with the drug resistance phenotype of genus Chryseobacterium. The genome sequences of SQ219 and SQ220 were 5.08 Mb and 4.80 Mb in length, and the G+ C contents were 36.72% and 36.36%, respectively. Both strains carried β-lactam resistance gene ( blaCGA). 16S rRNA phylogenetic analysis showed that SQ219 and SQ220 were closely related to Chryseobacterium gambrini DSM18014 T with the similarities of 98.93% and 98.36%, respectively. Core genome phylogenetic analysis revealed that SQ219 and SQ220 were highly homologous to Chryseobacterium gambrini DSM18014 T. However, the ANI values between the two strains and Chryseobacterium gambrini DSM18014 T were 92.49% and 93.27%, respectively, below the threshold for prokaryotic species identification. Conclusions:Based on the phenotypic and phylogenetic data, SQ219 and SQ220 represent a novel species of the genus Chryseobacterium. This study would help promote the understanding of the evolution of Chrysobacterium and provide reference for the identification of new species of Chrysobacterium.